Road breaking and gouging machine.



No. 655,404. Patented Aug..- 7, I900. m. H. JOHNSON.

ROAD BBEAKlNG AND GDUGING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

Witnesses Inventor W/VM w: NORRIS PEYSRS co. momma wnmum'm. n. c

No. 655,404. Patented Aug. 7, I900. M. H. JOHNSON.

ROAD BREAKING AND GOUGING MACHINE.

I Inventor Witnesses Patented Aug. 7, I900.

M. H. JOHNSON.

ROAD BREAKING AND GUUGING MACHINE.

UNrrE STATES PATENT ()FEICE.

MATTHEW n. JOHNSON, OF CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO ALPHEUS M.JOHNSONAND HENRY n. JOHNSON, OF SAME PLACE.

ROAD BREAKING AND: eoueme MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,404, dated August7, 1900. Applicationfiled P 28,1900. Serial No. 6,803. (Nomodet) T0 atwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW H. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Goncord, in the county of Merrimac and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RoadBreaking and Gouging Machines; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to road-breaking machines more especially adaptedfor winter use, the object being to facilitate the breaking of streetsand highways in rural districts and to gouge out gutters or ditches andlevel off pitch-holes. In towns and cities the invention will also befound serviceable. I

The invention consists of certain adj ustable wings of novel form andconstruction, together with their operating mechanism and means forattaching the wings to an ordinary sled, as fully set forth in thefollowing speci fication and claims and clearly illustrated in thedrawings forming a part of the same, of which Figure 1 is an elevationshowing a portion of the side of a sled to which my improvements areattached, Fig. 2 being a sectional elevation showing a detail of myinvention on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a broken cross-sectional viewshowing a portion of the body of a sled and my improved wings with theirconnections, Fig. 4 being a broken plan view showing a portion of thebody of a sled with my improved wings and their adjusting mechanism.Fig. 5 represents in perspective quire, and the machine will Workequally as well in light, damp, or compact snow, is most simple inconstruction and easily manipulated, yet strong, durable, andserviceable.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A is the runner of a sled, and Bindicates the floor-boards,which r'un crosswise of and are secured tothe longitudinal rails C, forming the body-frame of a sled. Instead ofconnecting the Wings or scraper directly to the sled-body I consider itpreferable to provide a stout plank D and attach the same transverselyto the under side of the rails C by means of bolts or rivets d, as seenin Fig. 4, said plank D being permitted to project at each side of thesled-body for the convenient adjustment of the wings at the desiredangle. The ends of the plank D are curved, as seen in Fig. 4, andprovided upon opposite sides with curved metal plates E, which aresecured thereon by rivets e, and with a metal yoke F, secured by bolts Gto opposite edges of said plank, the transverse or end portion f of saidyoke being curved to correspond with the curved plates E and separatedfrom the latter the proper distance to form an opening for the receptionand adjustment of one of the Wing hangers or supports H, the hangers orsup ports H, carrying the inner or adjacent ends of the wings, beingsecured to'the plank at fixed points, as shown, and forming the radiusof the curved ends of the plank, as well as the plates E and end portionf of the yoke F. Each pair of hangers H H is provided with one or moreperforations h for the reception of a bolt'I, and the studs h of thehangers H pass upward, one through each of the curved passages S, inwhich they may be secured at the desired point by a threaded nut 7L2,while the studs k of the hangers H pass upward through a perforation inthe plank D and are secured therein by a threaded nut 71 J indicates myimproved adjustable wings or scrapers, which are loosely connected attheir top to the rods or bolts I by suitable strapirons K, firmlyriveted to said wings. The inner or adjacent ends of the Wings J areseparated but a couple of inches, more or less, and their under portionsare cut away, as at j in Fig. 3, thus forming an arched passage.

for the surplus scrapings of snow or ice which shall have been drawn tothe center of the road by the wings. The under portion of the outer endof each wing J is also cut away, as in Fig. 3, and the principal workingedges of the wings are provided with an iron or steel face-plate L, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3.

M indicates extension-arms which are useful in leveling OK the theridges of snow which tend to form beyond the outer ends of the wingswhen the snow is crowded from the center of the road outward and whichwould drift back into the road when high winds prevail. These arms M arepivotally attached, as at m, to the wings J and rest when in use uponthe iron N, secured by bolts or rivets n to either wing J, and are heldin place by a swiveled button 0, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, and when notrequired for use said arms may be elevated after first turning thebutton 0 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

As a means of adjusting the wings to the required vertical angle a chainor cable P may connect the forward side of each wing J with a suitabletaking-up or winding device attached to the sled-body at a point forwardof said wings. To this end I show an eyebolt p, secured to a wingJ andprovided with a link 19, to which one end of the cable P is attached,the other end of said cable being secured to a drum or sleeve Q, saidsleeve having at one end a ratchet-wheel q and at its opposite end aperforated wheel q, one of said sleeves being mounted upon a journal 7*,formed at each end of a square bar R, secured by suitable loops T to thefloor of a sled, as seen in Fig. 4.

A nut 7" may be threaded to each journal 1' of the bar R for holding thesleeves Q thereon, and a suitable bar may be inserted in either socketor perforation g of the wheel q for winding the cable P upon the sleeveQ, or vice ve rsa, said sleeve being held station ary by means of a pawlU, pivotally attached, as at V, to either side of the sled-body, one endof said pawl being adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel q,while its opposite end may be pressed downward for disengaging the pawlfrom the ratchet and permitting the rotation of said sleeve for varyingthe vertical angle of the wing J.

By thepeculiar form and adjustment of my improved scrapers or wings thismachine not only plows the snow from the sled-tracks, but also pressesit down, leaving a smooth compact road-bed which will wear well, the sunnot exerting so deteriorating an effect upon a hard compact surface ofsnow as it will upon a more poroussurface, such as follows the commonpractice of road-breaking, a fact which is readily appreciated by thepubhe who use the highways and streets.

For gouging off the shoulders and filling pitch-holes this machine canbe so gaged as to gradually remove the snow or ice and pack itfirmlyinto the depressions resulting from heavy teaming, or in cases wheresnow alone causes the unevenness the wings J can be so set as toaccomplish the desired object at one operation. In breaking roads withmy improved machine when the snow is light the wings may be set at rightangles with the sled, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4; but when encounteringheavier snow or drifts they are adj usted so that their outer endsincline rearward, and for filling pitch-holes, &c., the wings areinclined forward, so as to draw the scrapings into the center of theroad, the surplus passing under the arched or cut-away portions of theadjacent ends of the wings, the foregoing adjustments being readilyaccomplished by the movement of the hangers H within the curved passageS at each end of the plank D, and by the use of this plank forsupporting the wings it is obvious that a machine adapted for breakingroads andembodying the foregoing improvements may be readily contrivedwhere an ordinary four-rum nered sled is obtainable.

Having described my improvements, what I claim is- V 1. .In aroad-breaking machine, a pair of wings or scrapers located normally intransverse alinement and pivotally connected to the machine at or neartheir adjacent ends,

means for adjusting said wings. at an angle forward or backward, andmeansfor elevating the lower edge of saidwings comprising rotary drums,ratchets and pawlsfor controlling the same, and a chain or cable connecting said wings and drums.

2. In a road-breaking machine, a pair of wings or scrapers having thelower corners of their adjacent ends cut away and located normally intransverse alinement and pivotally connected to the machine at or neartheir adjacent ends, means for adjusting said wings at an angle forwardor backward comprising movable hangers, and meansj or elevating thelower edge of said wings comprising rotary dru ms,- ratchets and pawlsfor con trolling the same, and a chain or cable con necting said wingsand drums. V

3. In a road-breaking machine, a pair of wings or scrapers disposedtransversely and in normal alinement, said wings being pivotallyattached to themachine near their adroe.

jacent ends and having their lower adjacent corners cut away and theouter portions of their lower edge formed upon a higher plane I than arethe central working portions, means for adjusting said wings at an.angle forward or backward said means comprising movable hangers, meansfor elevating the lower 5 edge of said wings comprising rotary drums,

ratchets and pawls. for controlling the same and a chain or cableconnecting said wings and drums, and extension-arms pivotally attachedto said wings, substantially for the purpose set forth.

4. In road-breaking machines, a transversely-disposed plank bolted tothe under side of the body portion and projecting beyond the sides ofsaid machine, a pair oftransverse wings or scrapers having theiradjacent ends pivoted at a fixed pointto said plank, suitable hangerspivotally attached to said wings and adapted for adjustment near eitherend of said plank and for securing said wings in alinement or at anangle therewith, and means substantially as shown for drawing the loweredge of said Wings forward, substantially for the purpose set forth.

5. In a road-breaking machine, a pair of wings or scrapers pivotallyconnected near their adjacent ends to said machine and disposedtransversely in normal alinement, the under corners of said adjacentends being cut away and said wings being adapted for vertical andhorizontal adjustment whereby the snow may be closely packed at mostdesirable points in the road. 7

6. In a roadbreaking machine, a pair of wings or scrapers pivotallyconnected near their adjacent ends to said machine and disposedtransversely in normal alinement, the lower edge of that portion of thewings which extends beyond the machine being formed on a higher planethan that of the remainder of the working edge of said wings,extensionarms pivotally attached to the outer ends of said wings, andmeans for adjusting said wings vertically and horizontally whereby theridges of snow which usually form at either side of the sleigh-tracksmay be lev eled.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MATTHEW H. JOHNSON.

W'itnesses: v

ALPHEUS M. JOHNSON, HENRY H. Johnson,

